Touring ancient temples, listening to Zen sounds, understanding the mind and seeing one's true nature!

In the first year of the Dali era of Emperor Daizong of the Tang Dynasty (766 AD), Bukong Tripitaka sent his disciple Hanguang to Mount Wutai to establish the Golden Pavilion Temple. At that time, the temple was magnificent and grand in scale, with the golden pavilion in the temple reaching over a hundred feet high. It had three levels: upper, middle, and lower, with carved beams and painted rafters, towering into the clouds. The roof of the hall was "cast in copper and gilded," "illuminating the valleys." The temple was named the Golden Pavilion Temple mainly because of the "copper cast tiles and gilded soil." After the temple was completed, Bukong was honored as the founding patriarch of the Golden Pavilion Temple. The Golden Pavilion Temple later went through several destructions due to anti-Buddhist campaigns and wars, leaving only ruins. The existing temple buildings and statues are all from the Ming, Qing, and Republic of China periods after restoration and additions. The entire temple faces south with its back to the north, and the temple is basically square in shape. It covers a total area of 21,000 square meters and has 169 halls and buildings. The temple is divided into front and rear courtyards. The front courtyard is centered around the Guanyin Pavilion, with eight pavilion-style halls in the middle. The rear courtyard houses the Mahavira Hall, with monks' quarters on both sides, separated by a two-story building with a door in between for access. Along the central axis are the Hall of Heavenly Kings, Guanyin Hall, Pavilion Hall, and Mahavira Hall. The Golden Pavilion Temple has over 1,000 statues, making it the temple with the most Buddhist statues on Mount Wutai. The Golden Pavilion Temple is notable for its long history and numerous large statues, especially the Thousand-Hand Guanyin statue, which stands out among the many temples on Mount Wutai and attracts the attention of the world. The Golden Pavilion Temple has over 1,000 statues, making it the temple with the most Buddhist statues on Mount Wutai. The Golden Pavilion Temple is notable for its long history and numerous large statues, especially the Thousand-Hand Guanyin statue, which stands out among the many temples on Mount Wutai and attracts the attention of the world.